Some leading chefs from Boston and Miami will be familiarizing themselves with succulent Island shellfish during the Prince Edward Island portion of an upcoming shellfish industry tour of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, says Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development Minister Neil LeClair.
“We are more than pleased to host this group of chefs and food writers to the province,” said Minister LeClair.
Accompanying them is a freelance writer from each area who will be covering the visit from their perspective. The tour will be visiting mussel and oyster sites in the province on May 30.
The tour is a cooperative effort of the Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development; Innovation PEI; the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries; and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The Mussel Industry Council of North America and the Prince Edward Island Aquaculture Alliance also assisted in organizing the tour.
Visiting from Boston are Chef Jeff Mushin of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and Chef Jose Duarte of TARANTA, and visiting from Miami are Chef E. Michael Reidt of Area 31 and Chef Marcelo Marino of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School.
Preliminary numbers for 2010 indicate the aquaculture industry on Prince Edward Island had a landed value of approximately $30 million. Included in the landings were 42 million pounds of mussels, five million pounds of oysters and one million pounds of quahogs.
“Our shellfish products are high quality and have a worldwide reputation for taste. I am sure the first-hand impression the chefs and writers gain will solidify this reputation in some of our key markets in the United States,” Mr. LeClair said.